Running in the rain

Del Norte hosts cross country meet on Tuesday

Adan Rodriguez of Del Norte High during a cross country race on Tuesday at the Del Norte Golf Course. For more photos, go to triplicate.com/photos Del Norte Triplicate/Bryant Anderson

On Tuesday afternoon, Del Norte High hosted its first and only Humboldt-Del Norte Conference cross country meet of the year at the Del Norte Golf Course.

With the rain coming down at all times and the ground a bit muddy and with puddles in spots, the runners focused on the task at hand and ran three miles.

Spectators and coaches held umbrellas or wore rain gear, cheering the participants on as they passed by, soaking wet.

Emily Napier was there to see her son, Del Norte senior Andrew Napier, race.

While the weather was nice and clear the three previous years her son took part, she was fine with the soggy conditions. After all, this was her son’s last home race and there was no way she would miss it.

“It’s just nice to see him run,” Emily Napier said. “All the other times he races it’s out of town.”

Normally, the girls and boys run separately. Due to the rainy conditions they ran at the same time so things would move a bit faster, Del Norte head coach Kirk Burrows said.

Burrows and his fellow coaches shouted words of encouragement to their runners when they passed by.

“Come on, keep plugging, keep plugging,” Burrows shouted as two of his runners ran by him.

Burrows said the rain did not seem to affect the runners, and weather challenges like this are just part of competing in cross country.

“You just focus,” he said. “It is the way it is and you just run it.”

Freshman Marcus Henderson of Del Norte runs through the Del Norte Golf Course during a cross coutnry meet on Tuesday. More than 100 runners from the Humboldt-Del Norte Conference took part in the rain-soaked meet. Del Norte Triplicate/Bryant Anderson

“How many people like to run because it’s play?” Burrows said before the start of the season. “We’re lucky ... not everyone enjoys it. Running 3 miles all the time can be hard.”

Tired and wet after the race, Kahliel Jones of Del Norte said it was great to be able to take part in a home event.

While it was a challenge and “painful” and difficult at times, especially with the rainy conditions, he just kept pushing himself to do well and finish.

 “I can go home and say that I did it,” Jones said.

Fellow Warrior Sunny Athey said it was her best race of the year and that running in the rain was not bad at all.

“I’m happy with the way I ran,” she said.

For the Del Norte boys,  Adan Rodriguez  had the best showing, coming in 17th. Next was Marcus Henderson, who was 40th, with Jones coming in 49th. Other Warrior runners who took part included Hawk Mattz, Napier, Abel Carmello, Derek Sorensen, Caleb Sorenson and Matt Pimentel.

For the Warrior girls, Crystal Clower was 34th, Sabrina Bustamante was 37th and Athey was 40th.